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Illisk
“Lies, all of it... especially those portions as ring true in the heart when first heard. This is the liar’s craft displayed, and so undone. That is my judgment upon these so-called Thulean secrets.” –Astigos of Far Prol, Seneschal to Morthus Winterscale The Disciples of Thule possess records that speak of a strange machine world deep in the Koronus Expanse: hidden cogitation arrays are packed beneath every part of its crust in huge vaults descending to the very limits of geo-auspex probes. The surface is swept by tumultuous storms and rendered barren by ancient strip mining. Huge towers vent geothermic heat through vast shafts into the turbulent atmosphere, the heat driving frenzied storm belts of churning clouds. Ten citadels project from the crust, each massive as a hive, echoing and empty but for the whispering dust of xenos dead. Corridors tens of kilometers long are crowded with niches in which dried xenos corpses remain, their desiccated flesh still punctured by filaments that link into the vast machines. 'A Machine World' “This world, this massive thinking machine, shows us that the Omnissiah’s gifts transcend even us. If this is not proof that the Omnissiah exists, I do not know what is.” –Magos Dakar, Disciples of Thule (declared Traitorus Excommunicate, 701.M41) Illisk is a world orbiting a dying ember within the Accursed Demesne. It’s a place known only to the Disciples of Thule and a handful of trusted Rogue Traders. According to most explorers and void-born operating within the Koronus Expanse, this world is worthless—all of its mineral wealth played out by ancient strip mining. Its resident xenos culture died off long ago, the entire ecosystem destroyed by their desperate final efforts. However, despite the apparent worthlessness of this world, Illisk harbors a terrifying secret, and a great discovery. A select few members from the Disciples of Thule, and by extension the Adeptus Mechanicus, continue to study and research the planet in an effort to unveil the secrets of its creation; perhaps even bringing them one step closer to the Omnissiah. Yet, the technology evidenced on Illisk was banned long ago by the edicts of the holy God-Emperor of Mankind. The Thuleans risk much in their quest, but they see it as a small price to pay for apotheosis. Within the outer edges of the Accursed Demesne, close to the Rifts of Hecaton, the planet Illisk orbits a dying ember of a fuel-starved sun, one of four small planets and a sparse asteroid belt. The planets neighboring Illisk are unremarkable; two worthless balls of mud and rock and a dwindling gas giant. The Disciples of Thule agree that if it weren’t for Illisk itself, there would be no reason to visit this system, as its useful resources were exhausted ages ago. Illisk is a wind scoured and barren wasteland whose only native life appears to be stunted bushes of hardy scrub and lichen sparsely scattered within the rocks and crags. Its entire surface is blasted by powerful shatterstorms that can strip the flesh from the bones of an unprotected human in a matter of moments—and the most powerful of these storms can even rip through steel and ceramite. No mountains exist anywhere on Illisk; the now extinct xenos strip-mined the entire surface for minerals and wealth. Even now, in the 41st Millennium, the evidence of this massive undertaking is still present. Dotted across the surface of this world are massive geothermal vents that reach deep below the mantle, venting their heat and vapors high into the atmosphere, exacerbating the planet’s unstable weather patterns. These vents are tied into a vast network of geothermal power reactors used to keep the planet’s systems operating. However, there is a steep price to be paid, as the atmosphere barely supports any life. Shredded and raggedly-torn pieces of Thulean and Imperial equipment lie scattered about as a testament to the tenacity of the Disciples of Thule to establish their presence on the surface. Since very few outside the Thuleans actually know about Illisk, not many scavengers have come to pick over the debris and detritus. Aside from the massive open mining pits and hills, ten lonely citadels built of a curiously unknown black metal jut out from the sands and rock. Their echoing halls resound with the noise of the howling winds, the hum of the planet’s ancient systems, and the sigh of atmospheric processors. The arrangement and placement of the citadels seems to have been of some importance to the ancient xenos, although what the purpose is has yet to be divined by the explorators of the Disciples of Thule. Eight citadels are situated equidistant from one another along the planet’s equator. The other two have been placed at the poles of the planet. No one outside the Disciples of Thule knows why these massive hives were placed at these locations. Additionally, the citadels are the only structures that exist on the surface of the world that have withstood the raging fury of the shatterstorms. The thin atmosphere of Illisk makes it very dangerous to work on the surface without some sort of breathing apparatus. However, the citadels (despite being open-walled cities) are sealed against the elements and maintain a breathable atmosphere inside. How this is accomplished is one of the many mysteries the Disciples of Thule are trying to solve. 'The Thuleans of Illisk' The Disciples of Thule discovered Illisk after following up on log entries regarding contact between xenos worlds and the Imperium, found within the famous Dolorium Vaults in 745.M41. After collating the data from hundreds of servitor-manned probes, they located what they thought was the location of a possible lost Explorator colony: the planet Illisk. Months of searching and research led the team to the conclusion that Illisk may have been visited by the Adeptus Mechanicus millennia ago, but for whatever reason they chose to not establish any settlements here. It was while probing the polar citadels that the Thuleans made one of the largest discoveries within the Koronus Expanse. Magos Egan Vaughn, a devout disciple of Magos Solus Kanceme, and his team were exploring the ruins of the Arctic citadel in an attempt to discover what power sources were being used to keep the citadels’ systems operational, when they discovered a shaft leading down deep beneath the planetary surface. Taking a lift that ran the length of the shaft, they descended into a cavernous chamber with dimensions exceeding the limits of their hand-held auspex scanners. So immense was this chamber that it had its very own ecosystem, complete with weather and unique life forms. While this was noteworthy, it certainly wasn’t remarkable. As the team pressed on they soon discovered other rooms packed with cogitator arrays and logic-engines. Soon, they uncovered more chambers filled with an array of computation devices and monitors. In fact, beneath the planet’s surface rested billions upon billions of computation and calculating systems of xenos design. 'Specific Locations on Illisk' While the citadels are the only structures capable of surviving on the surface of Illisk, there are several locations that are of interest to Rogue Traders and their crews. Since the Disciples of Thule do not control the entire world, it should be relatively easy for a band of explorers to find their way to the surface. 'The Crypts' As work progressed into understanding the scope and function of this machine world, members of other teams began finding numerous areas that could only be described as alien crypts. Walls hundreds of meters high were pocked with niches; each containing a single mummified corpse of what remained of the planet’s xenos population. More astonishing still, each niche was surrounded by monitoring systems and displays resembling the sensoria-beds used in Imperial medicae facilities. Each and every one of the petrified bodies were inundated with tubes and cables attached to various points, piercing the flesh. To this day, the Disciples of Thule have no understanding of what purpose these niches—and the systems they are connected to—serve. Magos Vaughn is rumored to be considering connecting some test subjects to the systems once the team assigned to them figures out how to commune with the xenos machine spirits within. Once that happens, he will monitor progress and determine what exactly these systems are used for. There is some trepidation about this methodology, as some believe that whoever is directly connected to the machine spirits of these devices will become possessed by them—taking on the personalities of the xenos who were connected to it. 'Picket Ships' Once the significance of Illisk was discovered, the Thuleans wasted no time in bringing in ships to protect this world from scavengers and exploitation by those with interests contrary to their own. With the exception of the handful of Rogue Traders who have entered in a compact to assist the Disciples of Thule with their project, no one else has set foot upon Illisk. Although the Thuleans maintain an exploration outpost on the world and have done so for years, there is still scant evidence of human habitation. Every so often an Explorator ship visits the system, but it seldom remains in orbit long. So far, the system’s relative obscurity and secrecy have kept it out of the way of Rogue Traders pushing their way into the interior of the Expanse, but on more than one occasion that peace has been disturbed by the arrival of pirates, raiders, or the frightening Rak’Gol. None of these incursions has managed to disrupt investigations, but the Thuleans are cautious all the same. 'The Black Citadels' Illisk has ten massive hive-like citadels arranged across its surface. While all composed of the same material and all have the same general layout, each one is as unique as any human hive within the Imperium. The walls and corridors inside each citadel are covered in mysterious hierograms that resemble the traceries of circuits, along with basic symbols such as circles and triangles. Along with the ever-present howling of the storms outside, inside the walls of the citadels is a tinnitus hum at the very edge of human hearing. Many of the Thulean adepts with audio augmentics are constantly adjusting them to filter this noise out, without much success. The source of this noise is unknown, and Astropaths in the employ of the Thuleans report feeling edgy and irritable while they are within these walls. Hundreds of thousands of chambers within each citadel house banks of cogitators and consoles, whose purpose can only be guessed at. Additionally, there do not appear to be any defenses protecting the outer bastions of the citadels, at least none that the human adepts can find. Thus, several of the massive complexes are being refitted with Mechanicus technology and defenses in the event of unwanted attention. 'The Chamber of Gholems' According to loose-lipped crewmen who claimed to have worked with the Thuleans operating on Illisk, there is a large chamber shrouded in shadow and lined with some sort of fog. The entrance to this chamber is guarded by the largest mono-tasked battle servitors the Mechanicus can provide, and no less than twenty elite Skitarii warriors who all stand before a pair of stone doors sealed with an arcane lock. The stories purport that the chamber is sealed under penalty of death by flensing should any enter without the express permission of Magos Vaughn, and that within the chamber stand row upon row of mysterious xenos gholems, constructs of metal given the form of the alien. No one claims to know much more about the nature of these automatons, only that rumor persists that messages and sealed shipments were sent back to the Lathe Worlds of the Calixis Sector once this chamber and its contents were discovered. 'The King of the Dead' As the data collectors and explorators of the Disciples of Thule have slowly made their way through the various black citadels and constructs that populate Illisk, there is one chamber that they have found no other of its type. Within the north polar citadel, situated at the uppermost spire, is a chamber decorated in rich tapestries. Arranged in niches around the perimeter of the chamber are various banks of cogitators and data-looms of indeterminate purpose; their lights constantly flickering on and off with a will of their own. Towards the back of this hall resting within a throne made of a clear quartz-like crystal, imbedded with all manner of circuitry, is a mummified xenos corpse. Unlike the other desiccated bodies that have been found previously, this one is dressed in the finery of a king or ruler. Like all the others encountered, he too is pierced with wires and tubes leading to plugs attached to the throne upon which he sits. Flanking the throne are what appear to be two robotic guardians, or gholems, fashioned to resemble the native xenos, and armed with vicious-looking melee weapons. They have stood over their leader for aeons, forever guarding a corpse who will forever rule over a dead civilization. 'Working for the Disciples of Thule' While secretive and insular, the Thuleans are not above entering into compacts with the various Rogue Traders operating in the Koronus Expanse. However, they are very selective in who they choose and keep the number of captains who know about their operations on Illisk to a minimum to avoid exposure. Those Captains lucky enough to find work with the Disciples of Thule can expect to transport goods and cargo to and from Illisk, ferry disciples into and out of the Koronus Expanse, and other jobs of a clandestine nature. The Disciples of Thule are very careful about who they select to enter into a compact with, and typically choose ships with crews who have a large number of worshippers of the Omnissiah. This not only ensures that there will be little difficulty in communication between the two parties, but also makes sure that their interests are protected. There is one tale, told in hushed whispers, of the Rogue Trader Allandra Abaddos, who attempted to betray the Disciples of Thule to the Holy Inquisition. The luckless captain was ambushed by Explorator vessels at the entrance to the Maw, her ship crippled, boarded, and subsequently destroyed before anyone could come to her aid. The Inquisition lodged protests with the Lathes, and some more militant Inquisitors are said to have begun bloody investigations into the Disciples. As for Abaddos, the more apocryphal tales say she still serves those she betrayed as a servitor on Illisk. 'Adventuring on Illik' A world of lost and forbidden technology, Illisk is rich for exploration. The Game Master is encouraged to develop their vision of what this machine world is like. There are hundreds if not thousands of lost chambers and caches beneath the shifting desert sands waiting to be discovered. Below are several Endeavors that GMs can use to springboard the Explorers into the action: Scavenging Thulean Equipment (Lesser): Scattered across the wastes are numerous corroding and decaying areas where the Disciples of Thule abandoned their equipment for one reason or another. Who knows what secrets and technology lie buried in the shifting sands; or what defenses have been put in place to guard them? Exploring Illisk (Greater): It goes without saying that Illisk is a world ripe for exploration. The Disciples of Thule don’t claim the entire world (nor could they). The details of what the Explorers may find are deliberately left open for the Game Master to develop. However, some suggestions include chambers full of ancient and proscribed archeotech, lost underground cities protected by ancient xenos guardians, and cyclopean tombs filled with unknown horrors. Picket Duty (Lesser): The Disciples of Thule have experienced an increase in attacks and raider activity by xenos (especially the Rak’Gol) near the planet Illisk. They are looking for ships that can help defend their interests in exchange for wealth and/or technology. If the Explorers assist, they may face everything from ork raiders to Rak’Gol Marauders and even Eldar Reavers. However, they may also discover the covert forces of the Ordo Xenos who may have an interest in what the Thuleans have found. Category:Planets Category:Koronus Expanse Category:Accursed Demesne Category:Dead Worlds Category:Adeptus Mechanicus